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Stapling it!

Stapling it!

20 September 2011

Zinesters and staplers - an essential tool, but sometimes a source of frustration. Jamming at the critical moment, running out of staples on the last zine, crumpling and tearing that perfect page, but what would you do without them? The "Golden Stapler Awards" for zine excellence, due to be announced at the National Young Writer's Festival on 1st October, prompted me to look back in time to some vintage staplers. Whatever happened to the wonderful Bates stapler, advertised in the Brisbane Courier-Mail of 6 January 1938 – makes its own staples from a roll of wire! “No wasteful jamming or clogging”. They even offer a trade in for your old stapler. How could you resist.

Or the new Exactus pocket stapler from The Argus of 26 October 1950 (just scroll down to the bottom of the advertisement to see the Exactus). Surely a must for every zinester!

Exactus pocket stapler

Finally, a very politically incorrect article in the Cairns Post of 24 January 1953 quoting the CEO of an American stapler making company who is convinced that “Pretty girls can outsell salesmen” when it comes to selling staplers. I must say I would love to see the “small, glistening display stapler, its moving parts jeweled like a fine watch” demonstrated by the elegant Miss Underwood in her elbow length black gloves. Sounds positively decadent. Happy stapling!